Police are supposed to protect and serve. So when I hear police officers threatening not to help carry out a government's anti-crime plan I become angry, especially when this is happening in a country where someone is murdered every 12 hours.
I am speaking about Trinidad and Tobago and reacting to the news that police officers are planning to boycott the government's crime plans because they are angry at the new People's Partnership government's delay in concluding talks for better pay.
Media reports quote one of their representatives as saying his association "may not be able to control its membership who...may engage in formal action which will be very detrimental to the proper administration and efficient functioning of any anti crime plan."
I find that irresponsible, to say the least.
No one should be allowed to hold a government to ransom and put an already frightened citizenry at greater risk.
While I agree that police officers should be paid a decent salary and their working conditions improved, I also insist that police are essential service workers who, by virtue of their jobs, are on duty 24/7.
I recall hearing about those obligations from a police officer: "We are dedicated public servants who are sworn to protect public safety at any time and in any place...we are police officers, and we do what is right because it is right!"
No matter what the circumstances, what comes first is a duty and obligation to protect public safety.
And you cannot do that by refusing to do your assigned duties or boycotting a government's anti-crime plan.
If the CEO of a company refuses to carry out the instructions of the board of directors, that person is fired. Let's bite the bullet and tell our police in Trinidad and Tobago that rule applies to them as well.
Truth be told, we can do without a whole lot of them who are crooked and an impediment to upholding law and order.
The board of directors is the government and the shareholders of the company are the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago who pay the salaries of police officers. To quote my colleague in England, John Lindsay, "This is despicable."
There is no evidence that the new government is not paying attention to the needs of the police.
All through the election campaign the People's Partnership promised to make sure the police have the tools they need to do their jobs.
The Minister of National Security, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister are aware of the needs as the government prepares its first national budget, which it will deliver in two weeks.
In this context, there is no need for this manner of blackmail from men and women who are duty bound to protect the country. It is unacceptable for our law officers to behave like factory workers.
If they go ahead with their threats, the government should act decisively.
We need police officers in Trinidad and Tobago who are dedicated to serving the people, to protect life and limb and create a society where we can escape from our self-imposed jails and freely walk the streets again without fear of being robbed, raped or murdered.
Any officer who refuses to accept that responsibility should find another job.
Jai Parasram - 25 August, 2010.
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Jai & Sero
Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai
2 comments:
There are so many things readily apparent as being downright wrong with respect to the TTPS situation, right now.
I was of course incensed by the article wherein their representative inferred that the government and the public have need to feel threatened by what the officers would, and would not do, in protest about better pay and conditions.
You have it right, Jai, in your commentary.
Of course a good law enforcement agency warrants good pay and conditions. Both for those good people it has, and for those good people that it hopes to attract.
And personally I feel that although the pay may indeed warrant updating, in all probability the condition of many police stations and other aspects of their working conditions are, if anything, as much or more in need of upgrading as is the pay.
But having lived and worked in T&T for many years, until very recently, I know that right now, with respect to the abysmally shoddy performance they deliver, MANY officers that I have encountered are actually OVERPAID.
Laziness, ineptitude and rampant corruption within the force are commonplace. Although for those officers that perform as they should, with diligence and honesty, “good work in exchange for appropriately good pay” should not and must not be an issue.
But first I urge the TTPS officers as a whole to look within and see what we, the taxpaying public, and essentially your employers, have seen and experienced at the force’s hands for many years.
As John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but instead ask what you can do for your country”.
"We need police officers in Trinidad and Tobago who are dedicated to serving the people, to protect life and limb and create a society where we can escape from our self-imposed jails and freely walk the streets again without fear of being robbed, raped or murdered." Aptly stated Jai. For too long they TTPS HAVE NOT performed leading to the criminals having no fear as they very well know that there is NO LAW ENFORCEMENT in T & T. I remember when the flight controllers in the USA tried to pull that on Reagan. They are NOT now fulfilling the function so fire them and lets start new. Find people with competence, not those who only want a paycheck without performance.
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